Soul Class System
The Soul Class System (霊等級方式, Reitōkyū Hōshiki; literally "Method of Soul Grades") is a classification system utilized by the to properly identify . This is often utilized primarily to assess the level of danger that a Ryoka might present or the degree to which their abilities may serve as useful to the Soul Society. Despite being meant for Ryoka, the system bases its levels on the strength of its own military might and uses the as a measuring bar for the system. The Soul Class System is also used to classify , certain with supernatural abilities, and other species as well that have caught their attention. Overview Classes E-Class D-Class C-Class B-Class Otherwise known as the "Captain class" (隊長の戦闘力, Taichō no Sentō Ryoku; literally "Combat Power of a Captain"), this is the level at which the Captains of the are said to stand. This is what sets the bar for every individual ranked on the Soul Class System, with the entire model centered around the B-Class. Lower B-Class Most Lieutenants of the are considered to be at the Captain-class. Against the of former , , the latter warned her subordinates that they were facing two Captain-class individuals.Bleach manga; Chapter 328, pages 17-21 While was indeed a Captain, the other fighter was actually his Lieutenant, . Generally speaking, one eventually reaches the middle B-Class among Shinigami after achieving and mastering the . Among those in the , the same is often said for those that master . Each member of the is acclaimed as being at least around this level. Middle B-Class Average Captains of the are said to exist around this level. Upper B-Class It is said that of the level are acclaimed as standing above the power level of the average Shinigami Captain. As such, they are stated to be in the upper tier of the B-Class. Their has been shown as being of such strength that it can manifest as a pillar of spiritual force that can be seen for miles.Bleach anime; Episode 226 was originally designated as being in the Upper B-Class as a "special case", as his power and skills dwarfed those of the Gotei 13 Captains and even others within the Upper B-Class.Bleach manga; Chapter 229, page 15''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 376, pages 1-2 As stated by , the combined power of the completely surpasses that of the Gotei 13.Bleach manga; Chapter 516, pages 14-15 For this to be true, this means the power of five individuals is beyond that of thirteen Captains, meaning that each member would have to be roughly be almost three times stronger than that of a Captain. However, while this means they are far above that of the standard B-class, each individual member would still be no match for Aizen via the transformations brought on by the Hōgyoku. As such, they are deemed as being right on the borderline between B-class and A-class. Many of the elite members were also proven to be upper B-class in terms of power.Bleach manga; Chapter 599, pages 6-8 A-Class , upon his capture and subsequent sentencing to , was recorded as being an A-Class entity due to the tremendous degree of power achieved through his union with the .Bleach manga; Chapter 420, page 14-17 remarked that Aizen's power existed in a dimension that only those within the same level would be capable of sensing his power''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 406, pages 2-3, as his is generally incapable of being sensed by any individual of lower standing than himself unless he voluntarily allows it.Bleach manga; Chapter 420, page 14-17 Beings of the A-Class are shown as being so extraordinarily powerful that the presence of their spiritual power is enough to cause serious repercussions for those in the lower classes, even among the B-Class, such as inflicting grievous injuries to a spiritual entity's existence.Bleach manga; Chapter 409, page 21''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 415, page 10 briefly touched upon this precipice of power after having undergone a three-month training session and subsequently mastering the . In this way, one can surmise that one method of reaching the A-class is to achieve a higher level of mastery over their craft, such as mastering the power of one's . His power was stated by Aizen to have completely surpassed his own, as though Ichigo were now standing in a dimension beyond that of Aizen.Bleach manga; Chapter 420, page 14-17 It has been suggested that Aizen was probably a lower tier A-class while Ichigo had become a middle tier A-class temporarily prior to losing his powers. Despite this difference seeming no larger than that of a lower and middle B-class, which would be the difference between a Captain and a Lieutenant, in the A-class, such a small difference can actually be entire dimensions of power apart. It is for this reason that Aizen found himself unable to sense Ichigo's spiritual pressure while in such a state.Bleach manga; Chapter 420, page 13 According to , if were deemed a threat by the Soul Society, he would have undoubtedly been ranked as an upper A-class. Prior to absorbing the remnants of the , was regarded as being an A-class on the same level as Yamamoto in his prime; this is supported by the fact that Yhwach managed to overwhelm both Bleach manga; Chapter 487, page 17 and Bleach manga; Chapter 505, page 15 on two separate occasions effortlessly, both of which are regarded as being somewhere in the B-Class. S-Class Though not much is known about this class, the Soul Society labels only those of the most tremendous skill and power as S-class. According to , every single being within the S-class possesses some unusual quirk about them that reflects the unusual level of their strength. They are considered to be monsters of frightening capabilities. If even a single S-class were to ever openly attempt to challenge the Soul Society, it would instantly spark a battle on the scale of all-out war. Seireitou Kawahiru and Raian Getsueikirite are both acclaimed as being ranked in the S-class, as shown by their effortless victories over many individuals that would be considered both B-class and perhaps even A-class in power.Bleach roleplay; Opposition against the Shiroyasha In particular, the are feared as being S-class in power. References Behind the Scenes This system was inspired by a similar ranking system used in the anime and manga series, Yu Yu Hakusho.